KOAT Action 7 News has been profiling the pigeon problem in the area for months. Photos taken a few weeks ago showed hundreds of pigeons gathering at one home, a home whose resident, KOAT has learned, feeds the birds every morning.

“Somebody can get fined $500 or 90 days in jail,” said Rio Rancho Mayor Thomas Swisstack.

Swisstack said feral pigeons could mean a health hazard if no one cleans up after them.

The mayor said the City Council is modeling their ordinance after Albuquerque and other New Mexico cities and calls it a workable solution to a problem that won’t fly away on its own.

The ordinance received unanimous support in this week’s vote. The final reading is scheduled in two weeks.